Fuel supply devices

Abstract

A fuel supply device includes a cover, a base including a base main body, and a connecting portion configured to connect the cover and the base. The base main body and the connecting portion are connected by a connecting shaft comprising a shaft portion and a bulge portion, a connecting hole formed so as to continuously extend an engagement region and an insertion region, and a stopper piece capable of limiting a movable range of the shaft portion located within the engagement region towards the insertion region. A guide mechanism is provided for guiding the connecting shaft to move so that at least one part of the stopper piece is positioned between the bulge portion and the base portion when a predetermined amount of force is applied to the connecting shaft.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A fuel supply device comprising:
 a cover including a set plate configured to cover an opening of a fuel tank; 
 a base including a base main body, comprised of an upper base to which a fuel pump is attached, as well as a lower base configured to abut a bottom surface of the fuel tank; and 
 a connecting portion including a rod member and a joint portion configured to allow the connection portion to be extendable and retractable along the rod member, where additionally a spring member is present between the joint portion and the cover, wherein the connecting portion is configured to connect the cover and the base, wherein 
 the base main body and the connecting portion are connected by:
 a connecting shaft including a shaft portion extending from the upper base parallel to a Y-axis, perpendicular to an XZ plane, and a bulge portion comprising the terminal end of the shaft portion, with thickness of the shaft portion in an X direction increased at the bulge portion, relative to the shaft portion, 
 a connecting hole at the joint portion relative to the XZ plane, that includes an engagement region through which the shaft portion of the connecting shaft is allowed to pass while the bulge portion is not, and an insertion region through which the bulge portion is allowed to pass, wherein the insertion region is contiguous with the engagement region, and 
 a stopper piece configured to limit a movable range of the shaft portion of the connecting shaft towards the insertion region when the shaft portion is located within the engagement region, 
 
 wherein the connecting portion and the base are connected in a relatively movable manner, through insertion of the connecting shaft into, and through its engagement with, the connecting hole, 
 where a guide mechanism is provided wherein the guide mechanism is configured to guide at least one part of the connecting shaft or the stopper piece to move so that at least one part of the stopper piece is positioned between the bulge portion and the base, 
 wherein the shaft portion is configured to have a two-tiered substantially columnar shape, as seen from a top view in the XY plane, where from rightwards to leftwards in the Y direction, the thickness width in the x direction progressively decreases from one tier to the next tier, wherein the bulge portion at the end of the second tier is on the opposite side of the connecting hole in the Y direction than the first tier of the shaft portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The fuel supply device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the base is able to rotate upwards or downwards about the connecting shaft parallel to the Y-axis, from an XY plane, when the cover of the fuel supply device is held and lifted, where when rotated, one longitudinal terminal end of the base main body faces the bottom surface of the fuel tank. 
 
     
     
       3. The fuel supply device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein a rotation regulation mechanism is provided for regulating a rotation range of the base with respect to the connecting portion, wherein the rotation regulation mechanism comprises a flange on the outer periphery of the top basal surface of the upper base, wherein the flange contacts the connecting portion when the base rotates to a predetermined position. 
 
     
     
       4. The fuel supply device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a cross sectional area of the bulge region parallel to the XZ plane is larger than a cross sectional area of the shaft portion of the connecting shaft parallel to the XZ plane, wherein both said planes are perpendicular to and intersect a central axis of the connecting shaft parallel to the Y axis. 
 
     
     
       5. A fuel supply device comprising:
 a cover including a set plate configured to cover an opening of a fuel tank; 
 a base including a base main body, comprised of an upper base to which a fuel pump is attached, as well as a lower base configured to abut a bottom surface of the fuel tank; and 
 a connecting portion including a rod member and a joint portion configured to allow the connection portion to be extendable and retractable along the rod member, where additionally a spring member is present between the joint portion and the cover, wherein the connecting portion is configured to connect the cover and the base, wherein 
 the base main body and the connecting portion are connected by:
 a connecting shaft including a shaft portion extending from the upper base parallel to a Y-axis, perpendicular to an XZ plane, and a bulge portion comprising the terminal end of the shaft portion, with thickness of the shaft portion in an X direction increased at the bulge portion, relative to the shaft portion, 
 a connecting hole at the joint portion relative to the XZ plane, that includes an engagement region through which the shaft portion of the connecting shaft is allowed to pass while the bulge portion is not, and an insertion region through which the bulge portion is allowed to pass, wherein the insertion region is contiguous with the engagement region, and 
 a stopper piece configured to limit a movable range of the shaft portion of the connecting shaft towards the insertion region when the shaft portion is located within the engagement region, 
 
 wherein the connecting portion and the base are connected in a relatively movable manner, through insertion of the connecting shaft into, and through its engagement with, the connecting hole, 
 where a guide mechanism is provided wherein the guide mechanism is configured to guide at least one part of the connecting shaft or the stopper piece to move so that at least one part of the stopper piece is positioned between the bulge portion and the base, 
 wherein the connecting hole forms a substantially L-shaped region, wherein the stopper is elastically deformable and is configured to have a stepped, leftwards-intended configuration, so as to form a barrier against penetration direction from the rightwards to the leftwards side of the connecting hole. 
 
     
     
       6. The fuel supply device of  claim 5 , wherein a side lateral surface of the stepped leftwards-indented stopper comprises two surfaces, the first surface formed parallel to a YZ plane for a minority of the width of the stopper portion in the Y direction, where said first surface is perpendicular to a force direction, when force is applied by a oppositely facing side surface of the bulge portion, where the second surface of the side lateral surface, forming a majority of the width of the stopper portion in the Y direction is oriented at an angle relative to the first surface, and guides the stopper piece to move forward and towards the base, such that the stopper piece is in a position between the bulge portion and the base main body in the Y direction, when a predetermined amount of force is applied to move the connecting shaft at said oppositely facing side surface of the bulge portion, wherein the connecting shaft is prevented from passing through the insertion region and from disengaging from the insertion region. 
     
     
       7. The fuel supply device of  claim 5 , wherein the stopper is formed in an integral construction with the joint portion of the connecting portion. 
     
     
       8. The fuel supply device of  claim 5 , wherein a side lateral surface of the stepped leftwards-indented stopper includes a rectangular recess in the stopper piece at a forward-left corner of the stopper from a top view parallel to the XY plane, where the side lateral surface is opposed to a side lateral surface of the bulge portion along a leftwards-rightwards axis, wherein the stopper is configured such that a backward-right corner of the bulge portion can be fitted into the recess when from a state in which the side lateral surface of the bulge portion contacts the opposing side lateral surface of the stopper, a predetermined amount of force is further applied, wherein the connecting shaft is prevented from passing through the insertion region and from disengaging from the insertion region. 
     
     
       9. A fuel supply device comprising:
 a cover including a set plate configured to cover an opening of a fuel tank; 
 a base including a base main body, comprised of an upper base to which a fuel pump is attached, as well as a lower base configured to abut a bottom surface of the fuel tank; and 
 a connecting portion including a rod member and a joint portion configured to allow the connection portion to be extendable and retractable along the rod member, where additionally a spring member is present between the joint portion and the cover, wherein the connecting portion is configured to connect the cover and the base, wherein 
 the base main body and the connecting portion are connected by:
 a connecting shaft including a shaft portion extending from the upper base parallel to the Y-axis, perpendicular to the XZ plane, and a bulge portion comprising the terminal end of the shaft portion, with thickness of the shaft portion in the X direction increased at the bulge portion, relative to the shaft portion, 
 a connecting hole at the joint portion relative to the XZ plane, that includes an engagement region through which the shaft portion of the connecting shaft is allowed to pass while the bulge portion is not, and an insertion region through which the bulge portion is allowed to pass, wherein the insertion region is contiguous with the engagement region, and 
 a stopper piece configured to limit a movable range of the shaft portion of the connecting shaft towards the insertion region when the shaft portion is located within the engagement region, 
 
 wherein the connecting portion and the base are connected in a relatively movable manner, through insertion of the connecting shaft into, and through its engagement with, the connecting hole, 
 where a guide mechanism is provided wherein the guide mechanism is configured to guide at least one part of the connecting shaft or the stopper piece to move so that at least one part of the stopper piece is positioned between the bulge portion and the base, 
 wherein the connecting hole forms a substantially L-shaped region, wherein the stopper is elastically deformable and has the thickness width in the x direction which progressively decreases from right to left as seen from a side view, so as to form a barrier against penetration direction from the rightwards to the leftwards side of the connecting hole.